The present invention relates to sheet materials which are suitable for protecting a supporting surface from various articles and/or substances placed thereon and vice-versa. The present invention further relates to such sheet materials which are also capable of absorbing and/or containing various liquids which may be carried by or exuded from such various articles and/or substances and protecting the supporting surface from these liquids.
Sheet-like materials for use in protecting objects or substances from a supporting surface, and/or protecting supporting surfaces from objects or substances, are well known in the art. Such materials can be utilized to provide a permanent form of protection, but most commonly are situation- or task-oriented and are only required or utilized for a limited period of time and then disposed of.
One common scenario for the use of such sheet materials is the preparation of food items for consumption, such as the preparing of certain meat products for cooking. Protective sheet materials in this scenario may provide dual protective functions in protecting the food item from soiling and other contamination from a supporting surface such as a countertop as well as protecting the countertop from soiling due to blood, water, and other fluids and substances present on the surface of the food item. Protective sheet materials may also protect a supporting surface from physical damage such as impact from a sharp object or cutting device such as a knife or cleaver used in such food preparation.
Typically, however, the consumer is faced with a paradox in selecting an appropriate sheet material for use in such a food preparation scenario. Sheet materials which are comparatively high in absorbency, such as paper-based materials, typically are comparatively low in cut-resistance, while those which are comparatively high in cut-resistance, such as plastic sheet materials, are comparatively low in absorbency.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a sheet material which is both comparatively high in absorbency and comparatively high in cut-resistance, yet also comparatively thin, light, and flexible so as to be easily disposed of. It is also desirable to provide such a material which is also high in shred resistance.
It would further be desirable to provide such a sheet material which, while durable in use, may be so readily and economically manufactured so as to be disposed of after use.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate the above-described problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable and protective cutting sheet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sheet material that is absorbent, cut-resistant, and shred resistant.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, a multi-purpose sheet material is provided comprising an absorbent layer and a cut-resistant material in contact with the absorbent layer. The cut-resistant material can comprise a cut-resistant support system, such as discrete cut-resistant support elements formed within the absorbent layer for example. The cut-resistant material may alternatively comprise cut-resistant particles, such as polymer particles having an average size of at least about 100 micrometers for example, which are dispersed throughout the absorbent layer. Preferably, the sheet material exhibits an absorbent efficiency of at least about 0.2 and a slice resistance of at least about 30 kgf/cm, and more preferably an absorbent efficiency of at least about 1.0 and a slice resistance of at least about 40 kgf/cm. It is also preferred that sheet material exhibit a cut-resistance of at least 30 kgf/cm, an absorbent efficiency of at least 0.2, and a wet abrasion loss of less than about 400 mg per 100 revolutions.
Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description wherein there is shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, including a best mode currently contemplated for carrying out this invention, simply for the purposes of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different aspects and embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and not restrictive in nature.